Registering a newborn’s birth at a police station within one month

No cost involved; just a single trip to the police station’s hukou office.

Article 7 of China’s Household Registration Regulations requires the household head, a relative, caregiver, or neighbor to register a baby’s birth with the household-registration authority at the baby’s usual residence within one month of birth. This is a legal deadline, not a suggestion. Household registration and vaccination are handled separately. The Vaccine Administration Law requires obtaining a vaccination certificate within one month of birth from the vaccination provider at the place of residence or the birth hospital. These institutions may not refuse. Vaccination is managed by residence and does not require household registration first. A child without household registration must still receive vaccines promptly under the immunization schedule.

国务院 (1958). 中华人民共和国户口登记条例（第七条）. http://www.gd.gov.cn/zwgk/wjk/zcfgk/content/post_2531969.html（广东省人民政府转载）；国务院办公厅 (2015). 关于解决无户口人员登记户口问题的意见（国办发〔2015〕96 号）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2016-01/14/content_10595.htm；全国人大常委会 (2019). 中华人民共和国疫苗管理法（第六、四十七条）. https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/fgs/art/2023/art_dde03480953841a5912c864dc29003d0.html

Bring these: the Medical Certificate of Birth, the parents’ ID cards and household registers, and the marriage certificate; the exact list follows what the local police station requires. The State Council General Office’s 2015 opinion states voluntary choice of father’s or mother’s hukou — you may choose either side. School districts and insurance enrollment areas may differ; decide before you go, because changing later is trouble. Children born outside marriage can also register hukou: the same opinion says you may apply with the Medical Certificate of Birth, one parent’s household register, and a statement of non-marital birth. For registration under the father’s hukou, you also need a parentage test from a qualified appraisal body